How long are the receptions?

[Lynn5700]

How long are the receptions? What is the dessert party? I see that everyone is having one.Are you having it because the reception is short or just to have one?

 

[KingdomHearts]

We got married in July at the WP, and we had our reception at the GF. Our reception was 5 hours long. The first hour was the **** tail hour, then the rest was the reception. What I believe the dessert party is for, if you are having an early wedding, but want another event at night with all your guests, or you want to have it after your rehersal dinner. It is a great way to get together with all your guests, watch fireworks, and all be together. Plus you get to pick your place to have it. I have seen a few held at Roses and Crown in Epcot, where they had it during dusk then had front row seats for Illuminations! You are going to have such a magicial wedding! Good luck and have fun with it! If you have any other questions or if I can help with anything just let me know, I know how stressful planning can be!

 

[pooh98378]

The Dessert Parties last around 1-2 hours and is basically where they serve dessert while you watch either Illuminations at Epcot or Fantasmic at MGM in a roped off area.

I know our reception is supposed to last 5 hours, so it is pretty long (this also includes cocktail hour). Then we are going to the dessert party afterwards.

I know we are doing the dessert party because we love Illuminations and we think it will be a great ending to a great day! Most of the wedding pictures you see in people's signatures with fireworks in the background are from dessert parties.

Hope this helped!

 

[Janet2k]

How long are the receptions? What is the dessert party?

Lynn5700, my dessert party was actually held at the Grand Floridian on the night before my custom vow renewal. I treated this as the Welcome Party. It was a very fun event for my guests and the first time that some of them met.

The next night was my vow renewal. The ceremony started at 8 PM inside the Wedding Pavilion. Afterwards, everyone was transported to the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park for a private dinner reception. It lasted until 2 AM, when everyone was transported back to their resorts. My family was the last one off the motor coach that night. We arrived at the Grand Floridian shortly after 3 AM.

 

[Laurafoster]

We had a shorter pre reception - 30mins, then had a 4 hour reception and then went to our DP which lasts around an hour or so.

For me it was just the perfect way of finishing off our magical day!

 

[Tink11302]

How much more do DP's cost?

 

[aprincess72]

How much more do DP's cost?

It depends on the venue you choose and what menu options you choose. My DP is for 20 people on the moroccan terrace. The venue fee is $200, I chose the old world classics in miniature at $24.50 per person, plus a chocolate fondue station at $12 per person. I am not serving alcohol but you can opt for a bar. They also charge a $75 set up fee as well as an Illuminations viewing few of $12.50 per person (unless they have a park ticket). I thought overall for the experience, the price was very reasonable! Plus we get to wear our wedding attire into the park.

 

[SRUAlmn]

Our reception was supposed to be 4 hours, but because we switched to the Cali Grill dining room, we had to shorten it to 3 because they start serving dinner at 5:00 (we have to be out by 4:00.)

Our dessert party is from 8:30-9:30 (Illuminations is at 9:00.)

 

[pixie08]

Well we are having an Illuminations dessert party the night before the wedding as a welcome party.

However, we are extending our reception an hour because we want it to last as long as possible (there are fees associated with this though). Normally your cocktail hour is 1 hour and the reception is 4 hours.

 

[PrincessBride07]

I also think that the dessert party is for those couples that want to have that special viewing area for Illuminations/Fantasmic, but don't want to have a full reception there. As for the timing between reception and dessert party, well that depends on you. Are you having a dj/band and plan on dancing awhile, or are you doing something more on the lines of just dinner? I would imagine that those couples having that are having the dancing and bigger party, the reception will be 4 or 5 hours; therefore would need an earlier wedding time for a dessert party. If you are just doing a nice dinner, you might be able to get away with a later wedding time to have a DP.